Stephen urges the government to set a strategy for removing asbestos from workplaces

On Wednesday 19 April, Stephen spoke in a Westminster Hall Debate in Parliament about asbestos in workplaces. He urged the government to adopt recommendations from the Work and Pensions Select Committee, which Stephen chairs, to set a 40-year deadline for the removal of asbestos from British workplaces and to create a central register of all asbestos in nondomestic buildings.

Asbestos is a material that was widely used in insulation and building prior to 1999, when it was banned. Asbestos is linked to several lung diseases, including asbestosis and mesothelioma. It is the largest cause of work-related deaths in the UK. There were over 5,000 asbestos-related deaths in 2019 alone.

Since 2002, the government has imposed a “duty to manage” on building owners to limit the exposure of workers to asbestos. The regulations aim to manage the risks of asbestos in situ - leaving it where it is found - unless the asbestos deteriorates to a state considered too dangerous. Dissatisfaction with this approach is widespread. Solicitors Irwin Mitchell estimate it will be 80 years before all asbestos is removed just from UK public buildings at the current pace of removal.

Moreover, even the current, insufficient regulations are under-threat. The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations (2012) and its predecessors are underpinned by EU law. The government’s Retained EU Law (REUL) Bill will remove all leftover EU law unless it is expressly incorporated into UK law, leaving the UK without any regulations to manage asbestos.

Speaking in Parliament, Stephen, “[the Work and Pensions Select Committee] think we need a plan to achieve that goal [of removing all asbestos], not just to hope that it happens by happenstance.” Stephen went on to criticise the REUL Bill, warning, “if it reaches the statutes book in its current form, there will be no UK regulations on managing asbestos for the first time since 1930. I don’t think anyone wants that.”

Stephen marks the tenth anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster with a motion in Parliament

The motion tabled by Stephen.

Last Friday, Stephen tabled a motion to mark the tenth anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster, which claimed the lives of 1,134 people, injured 2,500 more, and impacted countless livelihoods.

On 24 April 2013, a eight storey commercial building, called Rana Plaza, collapsed in the Savar Upazila of Dhaka District in Bangladesh. The building contained several clothing factories. The building’s owners had ignored warnings about structural failures in the building after cracks had appeared the day before, and insisted on workers returning to the factory. The building collapsed during the morning rush hour.

The motion, supported by eleven other MPs including Labour’s Hilary Benn MP, the Conservative’s Bob Blackman MP, and the SNP’s Lisa Cameron MP, remembers the tragedy while commending Bangladesh for its efforts since the disaster to improve the safety of its garment factories. The motion “notes that Bangladesh has 187 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified green factories, including half the world's top 100 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified green factories.” It goes on to urge all fashion brands to raise environmental and labour standards.

Speaking about the motion, Stephen said, “The Rana Plaza disaster sent shock waves around the world.  Ten years on, hundreds of Bangladesh families are still grappling with the consequences, and our hearts go out to them.  We welcome the major improvements which have been made since in Bangladesh to safeguard worker safety, and hope that similar improvements will follow in garment factories in other countries.”

Stephen asks the government to record benefit health assessments

Today in Parliament, Stephen asked the Minister for Disabled People, Health, and Work, Tom Pursglove, if he would start requiring that assessors record health assessments for disabled people on benefits.

To receive certain benefits, such as the Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP), disabled people have to undertake a health assessment. An inquiry into health assessments by the Work and Pensions Select Committee, which Stephen chairs, found that many disabled people find these assessments degrading and intrusive. In 2019/20, 77% of health assessments for PIP that reached tribunal were overturned. The Select Committee recommended that assessment providers should be required to record their assessments to improve their quality.

Speaking in Parliament, Stephen said, “the select committee has recommended that all these assessments should be recorded to help put things right. The assessment providers all support that recommendation. Will the minister give the House an assurance that he will give that recommendation very serious and sympathetic consideration?”

The Minister responded that he “wants to work constructively to get these reforms right” and said “we should look at this.”

Stephen urges the Government to fix benefit health assessments

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

A report by the Work and Pensions Select Committee, which Stephen chairs, found a “profound lack of trust” in the assessments that people with ill-health or disabilities must go through to access the benefits that are meant to support them.

The Work and Pensions Select Committee’s report found that 77% of health assessment decisions were overturned on appeal in 2019/20. In a survey of 8,500 people for the report, respondents spoke of factual errors being made in their assessment, staff lacking knowledge of their condition, and difficulty completing forms.

The Government has committed to reforming assessments. It plans to remove the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), which claimants must pass to access Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit equivalents. However, the WCA will not be removed until 2026 and the Government plans to keep assessments for Personal Independence Payments (PIP).

Speaking to the Evening Standard, Stephen said, “Waiting years for changes won’t cut it when quicker wins are available: flexibility of choice on assessment by phone or face-to-face; recording assessments by default; extending deadlines to reduce stress; and sending claimants their reports.”

“All this will give much-needed transparency to a process that so few trust yet affects their lives so fundamentally.”

The government raises support for childcare costs in response to Stephen's select committee

On Friday 31 March, the government responded to the Work and Pensions Select Committee’s report into Universal Credit and childcare costs, agreeing to adopt many of its recommendations. The Work and Pensions Select Committee, which Stephen chairs, published its report on 20 December 2022.

The Select Committee’s report called for the government to pay Universal Credit childcare costs upfront, raise the cap on total costs eligible for support, and offer more guidance to parents on the support available. In response, the government raised the cap to £950.92 for one child and £1,630.15 for two children, from £646.35 and £1,108.04 respectively, and announced plans to move from paying parents in arrears to covering costs upfront.

Reacting to the news, Stephen said, “Important victories have been scored in the increase to the childcare cap for Universal Credit claimants and upfront payments for childcare that will liberate parents to be supported to take up work.”

However, Stephen remained critical of the government’s decision to reject the committee’s recommendations on guidance and work coach training, adding, “we still think that more can be done to ensure that parents claiming Universal Credit are made fully aware of the childcare options open to them. Work Coaches should be properly trained to provide this information effectively.”

Stephen supports new asbestos campaign

Stephen with Ian Lavery MP, Chair of the Occupational Safety and Health APPG

Stephen has lent his support to the charity, Mesothelioma UK. It has recently launched its ‘Don’t Let the Dust Settle’ campaign. It looks to “call time” on asbestos by raising awareness of the dangers of asbestos exposure and the asbestos-related cancer, mesothelioma.

Asbestos is estimated to kill more than 200,000 people per year globally and exposure to asbestos is responsible for nine out of ten mesothelioma cases. It is the single greatest cause of work-related deaths in the UK each year, as more than 5,000 people die from asbestos-related cancers.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, the UK has the highest rate of mesothelioma deaths per capita in the world. The cancer has a long latency period of 15-45 years, with some prolonged cases of 60 years before symptoms show.

Despite its use being banned, asbestos remains in many UK buildings. The HSE estimates that between 210,000 and 400,000 buildings in the UK contain asbestos. Other sources say that there are about six million tonnes of asbestos, spread across approximately 1.5 million buildings – the most asbestos per capita in Europe. Freedom of Information requests in 2022 revealed that 81 per cent of schools reported asbestos was present in their buildings, with more than 90 per cent of hospital buildings containing asbestos.

The ‘Don’t Let the Dust Settle’ campaign is demanding that the Government heeds the two key recommendations of the Work and Pensions Committee inquiry into the management of asbestos. In 2022, the Committee recommended the creation of a central digital register of asbestos and a commitment to the phased removal of asbestos over the next 40 years, prioritising schools and hospitals.

Speaking about the campaign, Stephen said: “The 1999 ban on using asbestos didn't make it a thing of the past. It’s still in our buildings and causes over 5,000 deaths per year. This risk from asbestos will increase in coming decades, as we retrofit buildings to meet net zero targets. To prevent needless deaths and suffering, we need to act decisively, and finally make asbestos history. We need a central register so that we know where all the asbestos is and in what condition it is. We also need to set a timeframe for its safe removal, prioritising the highest risk asbestos from settings such as schools and hospitals. The clock is ticking.”

Stephen criticises the government's giveaway to wealthy pensioner

The debate on the government’s budget, announced two weeks ago, continued yesterday. Stephen spoke against the Chancellor’s giveaway to the wealthiest 1% of pensioners and questioned the abolition of the Office for Tax Simplification (OTS).

Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, abolished the lifetime allowance on pension savings in his budget on 15 March. The lifetime allowance is the amount a person can save in their pension before it is taxed. The Resolution Foundation calculates that the 9,000 people who exceeded the lifetime allowance in 2020-21 would gain £44,000 on average from its abolition, while no households in the bottom half of the income distribution gain from its abolition.

“At a time when the tax burden on ordinary families is being raised to the highest level since the Second World War, it seems to me extraordinary that the Chancellor thinks it is right to cut the tax on the 1% of largest pension pots,” Stephen said. He added,“it’s creating a very large tax avoidance opportunity for a large number of people… [through] the unlimited amount of money that they can now put tax free into their pensions.”

Stephen further noted that the government had rejected recommendations by the Work and Pensions Select Committee, which Stephen chairs, to encourage pension saving amongst the self-employed. “£1.8 billion of tax relief could have been a very valuable incentive in making a success of an initiative along those lines,” Stephen said.

Stephen attends a Citizens Advice drop-in on the cost-of-living crisis

Last week, Stephen attended a drop-in event run by Citizens Advice to discuss how the cost-of-living crisis is impacting people in East Ham.

At the cost-of-living drop-in, Citizens Advice made clear that the cost of living crisis is far from over. Citizens Advice helped more than 200,000 people with crisis support, such as food bank referrals, in 2022. In January and February 2023, however, they helped more people with crisis support than in the first two months of any other year.

“Citizens Advice is an excellent organisation that has helped 210 of my constituents with cost-of-living issues in the last three months alone,” Stephen said. “But they are fighting an uphill battle without more government support. I will continue to urge the government to raise the Local Housing Allowance and to offer more support to households during this crisis.”

Citizens Advice is a charitable organisation that helps people with legal, debt, consumer, and housing problems in the UK. You can contact Citizens Advice or Stephen for help with welfare, housing, immigration, and debt issues.

Stephen criticises the government's handling of welfare debts

Stephen has criticised the government for rejecting the Work and Pensions Select Committee’s recommendation that universal credit deductions should be paused during the cost-of-living crisis. Over a million people had their monthly payments reduced as the government pursues debts from past overpayments that are often due to HMRC’s own errors.

Data from the Department for Work and Pensions show that last year 1.3 million universal credit claimants had their benefits docked because of past tax credit overpayments. Many of the debts the government is claiming were due to the government’s own mistakes, with claimants often unaware they owe money until it is deducted from their payments. The government has also threatened families with debt collectors.

Speaking to Sky News, Stephen said, “[it is] causing real hardship for people. My select committee, which is an all-party committee with a Conservative majority, recommended that the government should pause these deductions while inflation is running at its current level.” The government rejected the Work and Pension Select Committee’s recommendation.

Tax credits were introduced in 1999 by Labour to offer support to parents and low income households. In 2014, the Treasury and DWP agreed that debts from tax credit over payments would be transferred onto universal credit as tax credits were phased out.

Stephen joins the National Day of Reflection with Marie Curie

Stephen marked this year’s National Day of Reflection at an event run by Marie Curie in Parliament.

The National Day of Reflection is a Marie Curie-led initiative to remember those who have died and support those who mourn, which occurs every 23 March. Many workplaces and schools mark the Day with a minute’s silence at 12 noon. It aims to encourage communities to discuss bereavement, death, and dying openly.

There were 8,955 bereavements in Newham alone in 2021. Over a quarter of bereaved adults surveyed by the UK Commission on Bereavement received no support from family and nearly half received no support from friends.

“It was sobering to join Marie Curie for this year’s National Day of Reflection,” Stephen said after the event. “We all face bereavement during our lives. We should be able to discuss grief openly and support those mourning in our community.”

If you are experiencing bereavement, Marie Curie offers a free dedicated bereavement service. They also offer support for those with a terminal illness or caring for someone with a terminal illness.

Stephen pledges to #EndTheWait for young people’s mental health

Stephen has met with young people from leading mental health charity, YoungMinds, at an event in support of their #EndTheWait campaign.

The campaign is calling for action to tackle the escalating crisis in young people’s mental health. As part of the campaign, MPs were invited to meet with young people to hear first-hand about their experiences of waiting for mental health support. The Minister for Mental Health, Maria Caulfield and a young person with lived experience of mental ill health also spoke at the event.

Research shows that:

• More than a quarter of young people have tried to end their lives while waiting for mental health support.

• Over 40% waited more than a month for mental health support after seeking it.

• Nearly half a million young people are being referred for mental health problems every month, with many not being able to get the support they need.3

The #EndTheWait campaign is calling for changes to be made to improve support for young people’s mental health, including ensuring that more young people get seen by NHS services within four weeks of referral.

Speaking afterwards, Stephen said: “My constituents often tell me what a big issue children and young people’s mental health is for them and their families. Yesterday I met with young people and we spoke about what it is like to wait for support. Their story must be heard which is why I am supporting #EndTheWait.”

Stephen objects to further expansion of London City Airport

Stephen has written to the Director of Planning and Development at the London Borough of Newham objecting to weekend flights being allowed at London City Airport.

As vice-Chair and then Chair of Newham’s Planning Committee in 1986 and 1987, Stephen negotiated the original planning permission, with a 24 hour closure from Saturday lunchtime to Sunday lunchtime.  He has always regarded that as a key protection for local residents, and does not believe it should now be dropped.

Speaking about his letter, Stephen said “I do not object to some increase in the number of flights at the airport.  I agree, however, with some of the strong objections to the proposals to extend the opening hours of the airport to 6 pm on Saturday.“

You can read Stephen’s letter here.

Stephen raises concerns about proposed benefit changes

Credit: Sarah Agnew, Unsplash

Stephen has raised concerns about the lack of clarity around proposed benefit changes recently announced by Ministers.

The Government plans to streamline health and disability benefits. But crucial details with “fundamental questions” on how people will be protected are lacking, Stephen said. He also cautioned that the reforms s could see a “fair number of people” missing out on benefits who would otherwise have been eligible, unless the changes were enacted with caution.

Under the changes, the work capability assessment (WCA) for determining benefit payments will be replaced with the existing personal independence payment (PIP) system – which is used to decide what day-to-day help a disabled person might need. Stephen said he was concerned about how people who are eligible for health-related benefits – but not PIP – will be identified without the usual assessments.

Speaking about the proposed changes, Stephen said: “They are saying if you have PIP you will get the health element of universal credit, so that’s clear. But there’s another group of people who are not on PIP who have always been entitled to health support. The question is, how is the Government going to work out who these people are? That’s the job the WCA has done up until now. It’s a mystery. I just don’t know what the Government is thinking here.”

He continued “I’m puzzled about that because it appears the Government intends to legislate next year. If you are planning legislation in 12 months’ time, then pretty soon you have got to have a clear idea of what this thing is going to look like. Why these kind of very fundamental questions don’t appear to have been answered I don’t know.”

A Government spokesperson said: “The Health and Disability White Paper commits to removing the financial disincentives that exist within the current system by scrapping the Work Capability Assessment, improving support and the experience for people when applying for and receiving benefits.”

Stephen speaks in the Budget Debate

This afternoon, Stephen spoke in the debate on yesterday’s Spring Budget. He welcomed the government’s changes to childcare support for people using Universal Credit and the Health and Disability White Paper, while criticising the government for removing the lifetime allowance on pensions.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, delivered the government’s Spring Budget yesterday. The Chancellor raised the amount parents on Universal Credit can claim for childcare from £646 to £951 for a single child and announced that the government would pay costs upfront rather than in arrears. Stephen welcomed both these changes. The Work and Pensions Select Committee, which Stephen chairs, previously recommended them.

However, Stephen was critical of the Chancellor’s plans to remove the lifetime allowance on pensions. The lifetime allowance is the total amount a person can save in their pension before it is taxed. Analysis by the Resolution Foundation shows scrapping the lifetime allowance benefits the top 10% of earners by £370 on average but has no effect on those in the bottom half. Speaking in the debate, Stephen said,“the Chancellor, when times are hard, has decided to give another billion to the wealthiest in pensions tax relief!”

Stephen also cautiously welcomed the government’s Health and Disability White Paper. The White Paper suggests changes to the welfare system to help people with disabilities and long-term ill health find work. Stephen welcomed the removal of work capability assessments, saying “nobody will mourn [them].” But he urged the government to improve Personal Independence Payments (PIP), which often “come up with the wrong answer,” and to target the gap in employment between disabled and non-disabled people.

Stephen asks about the execution of Hussein Abo Al-Kheir

This morning, Stephen asked the government why the Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, had not intervened to stop the execution of Hussein Abo Al-Kheir by the Saudi Arabian government.

Hussein Abo Al-Kheir was executed on 12 March 2023. He was arrested by Saudi Arabia in 2014 and sentenced to death in 2017. His trial was widely condemned by international organisations due to the alleged use of torture to extract a confession.

Stephen asked,“why did the Foreign Secretary himself not make representations to stop this execution given that that approach has succeeded in the past?” Leo Docherty, speaking for the government, promised “energetic ministerial attention was given to this.”

Stephen asks the government about changes to the Work Capability Assessment

Today, Stephen asked the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove, about the government’s plans to scrap the Work Capability Assessment.

People suffering from long-term ill health or disability must take the Work Capability Assessment to be deemed eligible for Employment Support Allowance. Claimants often find the assessment stressful, burdensome and invasive. The government announced it would scrap the assessment in a White Paper released yesterday, but promised “a new personalised health conditionality approach.”

Asking about the new approach, Stephen said, “that sounds like a new assessment of some kind. Can [the minister] tell us what it means?” Tom Pursglove, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work, promised to “delve into those reforms” when he is questioned by the Work and Pensions Select Committee, which Stephen chairs.

Stephen urges the government to increase support for private renters

Yesterday, Stephen pushed the government to increase the Local Housing Allowance to support private renters facing soaring rents.

The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is used to calculate the housing benefit that private renters receive, based on rents in their local area. The government froze the LHA in April 2020. Rents have risen on average 4% since then. In 2022, 57% of private renters reliant on housing benefit paid more in rent than they received in support. Crisis, a homelessness charity, claims “[the freeze] means people are stuck in temporary accommodation, unable to move on from homelessness.”

“[Raising rates] would benefit the public purse by over £2 billion because it would avoid councils resorting to more costly temporary accommodation,” Stephen said in a debate in parliament on the issue. “The government must stop turning a blind eye to this very, very serious problem.”

Stephen presses for action on excessive insurance charges imposed on leaseholders

On 14 March, Stephen pressed the government for action to reduce the excessive insurance charges faced by many leaseholders.

Leaseholders often pay their property owner or managing agent to cover building insurance costs. Parliament passed legislation in 2022 to make leasehold buildings safer, including removing unsafe cladding. Many leaseholders are faced with extortionate insurance charges while they wait for the improvements. Some residents in East Ham are having to pay an extra £5,000 on top of last year’s bill.

Stephen raised the issue with Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, in a letter on 13 January. He raised it again with the Secretary of State in Parliament on 30 January. Today, Stephen pressed Michael Gove for an update and a response to his previous communication.

Speaking in Parliament, Stephen said that the Secretary of State “promised additional Financial Conduct Authority and government coordinated action to address [excessive insurance charges]. Can he update us on progress?” In reply, Michael Gove apologised for his failure to respond to Stephen and promised to update the House shortly.

Stephen shows support for pet owners at RSPCA cost of living event

Stephen has attended an RSPCA cost of living advice event at the House of Commons to better understand how to support struggling constituents and their pets.

The RSPCA is working hard to keep pets in loving homes as the cost of living crisis continues to bite. But as the number of abandonments soar, the animal welfare charity has asked MPs to reach out and support local pet owners.

Speaking at the event, Stpehen said: “I’m proud to support the RSPCA and I will be doing my bit to ensure that the right help, support and information is available to all of my constituents in East Ham. The cost of living crisis is taking its toll on us all and we must all help each other through this difficult time.

“It was wonderful to hear about the cost of living assistance the RSPCA is offering - including financial support for many organisations, a dedicated cost of living hub and a new helpline - and I will be sure to relay this to my constituents.

“It was devastating to find out that almost 80 percent of RSPCA rescue officers have reported seeing animals suffering as a result of the cost of living crisis. I would urge anyone who is struggling with pet care and the cost of living crisis to use the resources the RSPCA has on offer to get the support they need. Keeping pets in loving homes is a definite priority and I am keen to help signpost to places of support.”

Harriet Main, public affairs manager at the RSPCA, added: “We’re really pleased that Stephen attended our drop-in event to find out how he can support his constituents with pet care during the cost of living crisis. Now is a time where compassion and support are needed the most, so it was wonderful to see so many influential and eager to help faces at our event.”

Pet owners can find a range of practical help and advice on the RSPCA’s cost of living hub. The charity has also launched a dedicated phone line for those looking for support (0300 123 0650).

Stephen asks for an urgent update on the pensions dashboard

On 6 March, Stephen asked the Department for Work and Pensions for an update on when the pensions dashboard will be launched.

The pensions dashboard is an online tool that will allow people to view information about their pensions, including their State Pension, online. It will give people more knowledge about their savings and help them find their lost pension pots. 31 August was originally the first connection deadline. However, the government announced they were delaying its launch without offering a new deadline.

Speaking at DWP questions, Stephen asked if the delay was one “of weeks or months or even longer” to a service that would “offer important support”. Laura Trott, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pensions, promised to “come back to the house at the earliest opportunity.”